MILAN (Reuters) – Officials from Eni (ENI.MI) sought to convince a witness, a former Eni manager, to withdraw some statements he made during investigations into a Nigerian corruption case involving the Italian oil group, a court heard on Wednesday.
Prosecutor Fabio De Pasquale made the comment in a trial hearing into the case, during a legal debate over a request by Eni lawyers to adjourn proceedings to give more time to consider evidence in a related obstruction-of-justice investigation.read more
By Hugo Miller , Kelly Gilblom , and Sergio Di Pasquale: 24 May 2018, 08:40 BST Updated on 24 May 2018, 10:23 BST
A briefcase seized from a Geneva apartment two years ago could be the key to an Italian bribery case against Royal Dutch Shell Plc and Eni SpA — if it makes it to Milan in time.
The bag held SIM cards, Nigerian passports, a laptop and a hard drive containing more than 40,000 documents, and belonged to Emeka Obi, according to a spokesman for the Geneva Prosecutor’s Office. Swiss prosecutors found it during a raid for an unrelated investigation and are trying to get it to their Italian colleagues, who are prosecuting Obi as an alleged middle man in a $1.1 billion kickback scheme involving the energy companies vying for a Nigerian oil license.
Obi’s lawyers persuaded a Geneva judge to put the contents of his briefcase under seal, citing his rights to privacy. Now a decision by Geneva’s Measures of Constraint Court on whether to lift that seal is expected as soon as this month.
While officials in Milan have moved forward with charges against the oil companies without the briefcase, the evidence could strengthen the graft case. The trial, which centers around events in 2011, begins on June 20. Milanese Prosecutor Fabio De Pasquale said he has “sent more reminders” to the Swiss saying he wants the briefcase, underscoring its importance.read more
A statement by a Civil Society organization monitoring the trial of Royal Dutch Shell and Italian ENI executives over multibillion-dollar bribery has revealed that Nigeria’s Attorney General, Abubakar Malami is working against Nigeria’s interest as he sent a rookie lawyer to represent Nigeria at the court trial. In the opening hearing today, the lawyer identified as Hillary Seidu told the court Nigeria doesn’t want to seek any damages from the indicted multinational corporations.
A statement by a Civil Society organization monitoring the trial of Royal Dutch Shell and Italian ENI executives over multibillion-dollar bribery has revealed that Nigeria’s Attorney General, Abubakar Malami is working against Nigeria’s interest as he sent a rookie lawyer to represent Nigeria at the court trial. In the opening hearing today, the lawyer identified as Hillary Seidu told the court Nigeria doesn’t want to seek any damages from the indicted multinational corporations.read more
Royal Dutch Shell Plc and Eni SpA are going to trial in Italy over bribery charges involving an oil field in Nigeria. Two things are unusual about the case. One is the sheer scale of the sum involved — $1.1 billion. The other is that the defendants include Eni’s Chief Executive Officer Claudio Descalzi, the company’s former CEO and a former top executive at Shell. The trial begins Monday in Milan.
1. What was the $1.1 billion for?
It was paid by the companies to the Nigerian government in 2011 for a license to drill in deep waters off the Nigerian coast. The license had been in dispute for years. It had originally been awarded in 1998 by the country’s military dictator, Sani Abacha, to Malabu Oil and Gas Ltd., a Lagos-based company connected to then-Petroleum Minister Dan Etete. Under successive governments, the license was canceled, awarded to Shell, and then awarded to Malabu again before the 2011 deal. Shell and Eni also paid the government about $200 million as a signature bonus — a onetime fee charged by some oil-producing nations.read more
Royal Dutch Shell and Eni are about to go on trial over an alleged bribery scheme to secure a valuable oil field
Dutch investigators, too, are on Shell’s back. They raided its offices in The Hague in 2016 and tapped the phone of Ben van Beurden, Shell’s current chief executive. A sizeable team of Dutch investigators is still working on the case…
…informed Eni that America’s FBI, which was following the OPL 245 money trail, had contacted him about testifying…
Both firms would face fines not only in Europe but possibly also in America, whose crime-busters could use the deferred-prosecution agreements from 2010 to brand Shell and Eni repeat offenders, calculating their fines accordingly.
Mar 3rd 2018
RESOURCE-RICH Nigeria has long ignited interest from oil firms, but it can be a dangerously combustible environment when it comes to the risk of corruption. Two firms caught up in scandals are Royal Dutch Shell and Eni, Italy’s state-backed energy group. In 2010 both entered into deferred-prosecution agreements with America’s Department of Justice after being implicated in separate Nigerian bribery schemes. But those pale beside a case involving the two companies that is set to go to trial in Milan on March 5th.read more
Eni’s strong performance has been clouded by allegations of bribery related to a $1.3bn deal in 2011 to acquire one of Nigeria’s largest untapped oilfields. Mr Descalzi and several other current and former executives are due to stand trial for alleged corruption in Milan in March. Mr Descalzi has denied wrongdoing and Eni’s board has maintained its “full confidence” in him.read more
Mr. Brinded said: “I have done nothing wrong and believe that will become clear in any legal proceedings. I stand by my view that there is absolutely no basis for the charges against me.”
By Eric Sylvers in Milan and Sarah Kent in London FeaturesDow Jones Newswires
An Italian judge Wednesday indicted Royal Dutch Shell PLC, the chief executive of the Italian oil-and-gas company Eni SpA and other industry executives on corruption charges connected to a 2011 deal to acquire drilling rights off the coast of Nigeria.
Prosecutors say in court documents that Eni CEO Claudio Descalzi and the other executives at both Shell and Eni knew that most of the $1.3 billion Eni and Shell paid to the Nigerian government to acquire the drilling rights would be distributed as bribes. Prosecutors will argue that Goodluck Jonathan, the Nigerian president at the time of the deal, received part of the kickbacks, according to court documents.read more
In his quest for more potent laws against money laundering and to rev up the fight against corruption, President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday presented two bills before the Senate for amendment.
They are the Money Laundering Prevention and Prohibition Bill 2016 and the Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters Bill 2016.
The president, in a letter to the Senate president, Bukola Saraki, which was read on the floor of the Senate, sought expeditious consideration of the two bills for more potent war against financial crimes in the country.read more
Nigerian auditors find NNPC failed to remit $11.6 bil in LNG export revenue
NNPC holds 49% equity in NLNG on behalf of the Nigerian government, with partners Shell (25.6%), Total (15%) and ENI (10.4%.)
11 June 2015
State-owned Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation has not remitted $11.6 billion in dividends and loan and interest repayments earned from exports from the Bonny LNG plant from 1999-2012, the country’s oil industry auditors said late Tuesday.
NNPC could not immediately be reached for comment Wednesday.
The Nigerian Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative, or NEITI, said in a statement that the earnings represent NNPC’s share of 49% equity ownership in Nigeria LNG Ltd., owner of the six-train, 22 million mt/year Bonny LNG plant.read more
The most senior managers at oil giant Eni appear to have misled shareholders over the company’s actions in a corrupt oil deal at its 2014 AGM. This is very important – as they gather for the 2015 meeting, shareholders in Italy’s biggest company should expect straight answers over a deal which poses real risks to their investments. The corruption at the heart of the deal deprived the Nigerian state of over U.S. $1.1 billion, has triggered investigations by authorities in three countries, and could ultimately lead to the Eni and its partner Shell losing access to the oil block.read more
Nigeria’s Naira firmed 1.13 percent against the dollar on the interbank market in thin trade on Monday, supported by dollar flows from two energy companies, traders said.
The naira closed at 199.7 to the dollar compared with 202 on the interbank market on Friday, dealers said.
The central bank had set its intervention rate at 196.8/197.8 to the dollar on Monday, but dealers said the regulator had not yet sold dollars to lenders by 1302 GMT.
The Nigerian unit of Royal Dutch Shell sold an undisclosed amount of dollars while Eni sold $15 million, lending support to the naira, traders said.read more
In October 2014 the media reported that Italian prosecutors were alleging that half of the $1.1 billion paid for an oil producing lease (OPL) by Eni and Royal Dutch Shell had gone on bribes to Nigerian politicians, intermediaries and others.
Extracts from an article by Babajide Oladipo Ogundipe: 8 December 2014
In October 2014 the media reported that Italian prosecutors were alleging that half of the $1.1 billion paid for an oil producing lease (OPL) by Eni and Royal Dutch Shell had gone on bribes to Nigerian politicians, intermediaries and others. Reuters reported that Italian prosecutors had placed Eni’s former and current chief executive officers under investigation for alleged international corruption and had requested their UK counterparts to assist in freezing suspect assets. The prosecutors alleged that at least $533 million had been paid out to Nigerian officials and others as part of the scheme. The two individuals under investigation, along with Eni, denied any wrongdoingread more
A High Court in the United Kingdom has lifted a secrecy order imposed on a 2013 legal challenge by The Corner House of a decision by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) not to freeze some $215million alleged proceeds of crime from a corrupt Nigerian oil deal. Shell and ENI have denied paying any money to Malabu Oil and Gas. But they were aware and in agreement that the deal was for the benefit of Malabu.
By Edegbe Odemwingie: 7 November 2014
A High Court in the United Kingdom has lifted a secrecy order imposed on a 2013 legal challenge by The Corner House of a decision by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) not to freeze some $215million alleged proceeds of crime from a corrupt Nigerian oil deal.
The fund arose from the sale of one of Nigeria’s largest offshore oil concessions, known as OPL 245 to subsidiaries of oil multinationals, Royal Dutch Shell and ENI.
Police in the UK and magistrates in Italy are now formally investigating the deal.read more
The article notes the involvement of the metropolitan police, but surely this is beyond the remit of the police involved? Where are the Dutch police, Interpol and Europol in this affair? Where is the SEC, and the authority that enforces the FCPA? It is simply not enough to say that Shell is “not under investigation”.
FROM A REGULAR CONTRIBUTOR
John
I don’t know if you saw yesterday’s article (below) in Upstream about the Nigerian OPL245 case, but it seems that a large number of the Malabu payments have been traced.
If the article is to be believed (and Upstream is usually quite good) it appears that Shell was unaware of the payments being made on behalf of their joint venture with ENI. If they really did not know that these payments were being made, Shell were not acting in the interests of their shareholders – it is hard to believe that Shell really agreed to pay their share of $600 million out of a total of $1.2 billion without investigating where the funds were going.read more
The obvious conclusion is that these would have been people directly connected to the Nigerian government and Etete.
One possible conclusion that is not discussed is that people within ENI and/or Shell may also have benefited during the distribution of the funds. It would not be the first time that “conflicts of interest” had arisen in Shell and ENI.read more
Can’t help wondering whether Malcolm Brinded will be “helping the police with their enquiries” regarding OPL245 as he was in charge of E&P at Shell at the time. Assuming that Shell/ENI lose the block, I presume there will be a $550 million hole in the Shell accounts to explain…
By John Donovan
Claudio Descalzi, the CEO of oil company Eni and one of his director colleagues are under investigation, suspected of involvement in the corruption of Nigerian politicians.
Eni teamed with Royal Dutch Shell Plc in 2011 to buy Oil Prospecting License 245 for $1.1billion. The deal was challenged last year by a Nigerian parliamentary committee, which recommended revoking the rights. The acquisition process was “highly flawed,” the committee said. Global Witness, a London-based corruption watchdog, has also criticized the deal and the involvement of Dan Etete, a former Nigerian oil minister.read more
Thanks. Problem is that it's behind a paywall and despite it being a great publication for the oil industry, none of us retired folk wants to invest in a subscription.
FURTHER REPLY FROM JOHN
I have received the further Prelude information you have kindly provided and have replied by encripted email.
Bonus Group: Further to Bogus Group's post yesterday. I am absolutely appalled that a Senior Executive of Royal Dutch Shell plc should spout so much nonsense concerning the Prelude installation. The statement is redolent of Malcolm Brinded and his 'Touch F*ck All' policy, which led to the deaths of Keith Moncrieff and Sean McCue on Brent Bravo on 11th September 2003. What is boring is the continuous misleading spin and blather from the top of this company and their lackadaisical approach to safety. 'Chronic Unease' is a well known expression in the Oil and Gas Industry, and that state of mind is far from boring or routine. In fact nothing is either boring or routine in Oil and Gas operations. Rob Jager moved last year to the post of VP Prelude after spending thirteen years as Country Chair and VP for Shell New Zealand/Shell Taranaki, after Shell announced the sale of its New Zealand interests in March 2018. Jager clearly previously has spent too much time being 'laid back' in the fantasy land of Lord of the Rings, marvelling at New Zealand's scenery and wondering who will be entertaining him for his next luxury seafood dinner accompanied by a glass of chilled expensive New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc.
Bogus Group: PLEASE SEE REPLY FROM JOHN WHICH FOLLOWS THE COMMENT FROM BOGUS GROUP
More on Prelude article in Upstream.
I’m stunned by what can only be described as idiotic statements. Nothing like the utopia of self-aggrandisement without verification. What is Jagers’ level of technical and operational capabilities? I recall similar rhetoric from BG Group charlatans, with the “best in class” mentality and use of the most overstated expression ever to be used outside the education sector, all aimed at pleasing their taskmasters.
Ramp-up of Prelude and what Jager hopes will be decades of “uneventful” and “boring” operation.
“This will be a state where little or nothing happens. We have few if any alarms, no surprises and where things are running like clock work and we are effectively in autopilot,” he said.
“We will know when we have succeeded in this ambition because Prelude will be recognised as the most boring asset in Shell global portfolio our people will refer to it as the safest and most desirable place to work, and when the rest of the industry is knocking on our door to find out how we have achieved such a best in class outcome, especially for a facility as complex and unique as Prelude.”
REPLY FROM JOHN
Hello, I would be grateful if you could send me a copy of the article via [email protected] using an anonymous email address. I would pass it on to retired Shell EP experts for their assessment.
Peter Voser: Shell may claim to be not responsible for the contractors’ instruction to staff to attend the meeting or loose pay, however, contractors working for Shell have a contractual obligation to comply with Shell’s General Business Principles and its Code of Conduct. Facilitating political rallying and coercing staff would certainly go against that.
Disappointing to see these principles are pushed aside when it comes to US politics.
Prelude Upstream Online Article: I would be interested to know the content of the article just published by Upstream Online about the Prelude FLNG problems?
Upstream Online: Shell learns from Prelude challenges
Shell is currently in the process of ramping up its Prelude floating liquefied natural gas development off Western Australia, but the ambitious project …
What I do know is that Prelude is still having difficulties in with the processed volumes of any of the three streams of product, LNG, LPG and condensate.
I have been monitoring the Marine Traffic web site with Prelude as the target. The offtake tankers, LNG or condensate, can be seen hanging around but at a greater distance from Prelude making it not as easy to keep track of as in previous occasions. The latest LNG tanker, Symphonic Breeze, has been nearby for nearly a week waiting for its nominated cargo. The demurrage costs must be quite high by now as the "notice of readiness" will have been tabled on arrival.
The pressure on the Prelude Operational Staff must be intense and unrelenting, so much for a plug and play project that Brinded made so much noise about.
LOST CUSTOMER: After reading in the news that workers in our Pennsylvania plant wore FORCED
to sit and listen to trump you can count on me PASSING EVERY SHELL station I see. (Comment received via email)
Trump Meeting: Is the payment of workers by Shell to attend a Trump rally appropriate?
How does Shell justify it?
Is Shell going to pay workers to attend opposition rallies for balance?
What's next payment for attending Bolsonaro rallies? (Received via email)
Coersion: Saw news on Shell's practice of coercing union employees into attending a campaign rally with Trump. I used to fill up with Shell gasoline. Will no longer purchase anything from Shell or anything that is in anyway obviously associated with Royal Dutch Shell (Posted comment was received by email)
Bonus Group: Bonus Group has previously mentioned John de Lange, once upon a time VP Well Engineering and Operations BG Brasil, last heard of kicking his heels in Chad as VP Operations for Glencore E&P (Canada) Inc before he fell foul of jackals and going to ground. This very wealthy man by his own admission now finds himself literally in hot water, or more precisely as a director of Geothermie Groep Nederland B.V. This is probably the best outcome for the oil and gas industry as his competency and motives were questionable at best.
USA USA USA: John, thanks for posting the article on the Trump visit to Penn Chem. Most insiders don't think Shell will really want that kind of connection to Trump. But if he asks to come with the EPA administrator and DOE Minister, what can you do, but say yes? Saying no would have resulted in a backlash for sure. Makes it difficult to stay politically neutral.
Shell still wants to play both sides on the US agenda, and win regardless of the outcome. This is more troubling for many, as it shows the messaging in EU is low carbon future, in the USA its drill baby drill. It makes your point on culture, that some still seem to doubt.
USA USA USA: it was very interesting to see Shell host President Trump at Penn Chem for Energy Speech that turned into a campaign rally.
More interesting that he seemed to take credit for making it happen.
https://pittsburgh.cbslocal.com/2019/08/13/donald-trump-in-beaver-county/
Scroll down to the middle and you can watch the full hour speech.
Mateusz: Hello, I am interested in purchasing royaldutchshellplc.com Are you interested?
REPLY BY JOHN DONOVAN
I would have taken your question more seriously if you had contacted me privately via email rather than via a public forum.
This is not a Shell website. Click on Disclaimer link at top of page for more information.
OPL 245 CORRUPTION SCANDAL: LATEST NEWS
$1.3bn Malabu Oil Scandal: Italy Protests Swiss Delay in Releasing Evidence against Shell, Eni 22 Jun 2019 04:10 This Day Chika Amanze-Nwachuku with agency report
Italian prosecutors have expressed dissatisfaction about lengthy delays in obtaining evidence they have requested from Switzerland in the criminal charges against Royal Dutch Shell and Italy’s Eni with regard to …
FG names Shell, Eni executives in $1bn bribery case – The Punch 08 May 2019 11:43 Google ’Femi Asu with agency report
Royal Dutch Shell Plc and Eni SpA face additional corruption allegations over a Nigerian oil deal, after the Federal Government said in a London lawsuit that it believed a handful of executives, including Chief Executive …
FG files fresh charges against Shell executives, JPMorgan over Malabu Oil scandal 08 May 2019 10:01 Herald Sequel to the lawsuit filed last year against Royal Dutch Shell Plc, Eni and JP Morgan for being involved in a $1bn oil block bribery case, the Federal Government has submitted new case documents that indict their top executives.
FG said in the court files …
FG names Shell, Eni executives in $1bn bribery case 08 May 2019 08:09 Punch Newspapers ’Femi Asu with agency report
Royal Dutch Shell Plc and Eni SpA face additional corruption allegations over a Nigerian oil deal, after the Federal Government said in a London lawsuit that it believed a handful of executives, including Chief Executive …
Dutch Prosecutors to Arraign Shell over $1.3 billion Acquisition of OPL 245 02 Mar 2019 10:19 Biz Watch Nigeria Dutch Prosecutors to Arraign Shell over $1.3 billion Acquisition of OPL 245
Dutch prosecutors are preparing criminal charges against Royal Dutch Shell over its $1.3 billion acquisition of Nigerian offshore oilfield OPL 245 in 2011.
Shell said in a …
John Donovan’s ebooks
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Emilio Parodi: 17 July 2019
By Hugo Miller , Kelly Gilblom , and Sergio Di Pasquale: 24 May 2018, 08:40 BST Updated on 24 May 2018, 10:23 BST
BY SAHARA REPORTERS, NEW YORK: 
Royal Dutch Shell and Eni are about to go on trial over an alleged bribery scheme to secure a valuable oil field
Extract taken from FT article relating to OPL 245 Shell/ENI/Malabu Oil Deal/Dan Etete/Malcolm Brinded billion dollar scandal: 
Mr. Brinded said: “I have done nothing wrong and believe that will become clear in any legal proceedings. I stand by my view that there is absolutely no basis for the charges against me.”
By 
Blog by Barnaby Pace, 13 May 2015
In October 2014 the media reported that Italian prosecutors were alleging that half of the $1.1 billion paid for an oil producing lease (OPL) by Eni and Royal Dutch Shell had gone on bribes to Nigerian politicians, intermediaries and others.
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